Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-12-02
4 FAM0US COBBLER. BOX

Translated from the French for the Sunday Re
publican.l
In 1129 a poor cobber of the little city
of Stendal, Germany, lived in his little
shop. attached to the dark, messy wall of
the college garden, and the scholars, dur
ing the hours of recess, amused themselves
bv throwing fruits or nuts on the humble
dwelling, shouting, Good morning, cob
bier ~ At other times they tossed their
shoes over to be mended in the same man
ner at the risk of being severely repri-
manded by their tutors. This intercourse
had established sort of acquaintanceship
between the college and the honest shoe
maker, who faithfully carried back the
shoes that reached him in so unusual a
manner. He had gradually obtained the
custom Of all the little scamps, and it was
by no means 10 be despsed, for the restless
movements of childhood are the destruc-
tion Of shoes.
Bowed oyer his work bench, in spite of
the sharp rheumatic pain that sometimes
forced an exclamation from his lips, the
poor cobbler toied from morning to night.
lie was thin, and although scarcely 80, ap-
peared like a very old man poverty and
sickness had doubled his years. Masses of
white hair fell over his hollow temples, CON
trastng strangely with the piercing eyes
beneath his black eyebrows. A widower
for several years aud most unfortunate,
the poor man never smiled except when, re
turning from school at nghtfall, his son
threw his arms around his neck to embrace
him. Then the shop assumed a more cheer
full appearance, the cobbler laid aside his
tools and leathern apron, washed his hands
in bowl of water, rekindled the fire i'll
the stove, and began to prepare the even
ing meal as neatly as a woman. lll-titting
wooden shutters were closed from within
over the glass doorway, and the father and
child then felt perfectly secluded, and while
eating their supper told each other about
the events of the day. The child, delicate
and attractive, with an expressive face and
| fair hair, would tell his father about his
learning something every day, and that his
teachers, delighted with his progress, were
talking of placing him in the college rs
pattern scholar The father, radiant with
! pleasure embraced the child, looking at him
proudly, almost as one would would regard
something greatly superior to himself, ex-
claiming with emotion
"Oh NV dear Joachim, why am | not
rich, | would make you a learned and hap
py man -
Il want to begin by being learned, " re
Piled little Joachim, then we will be hap
py afterward."
While conversing thus, he helped his
father in his household cares, and asked
the poor, simple-hearted man, what he had
seen and done during the day. When they
had finished their supper, the father re
sumed his work and the child read aloud
from the books that he had received as prizes
at school. His father sometimes induced him
to read in his old Bible; the Bible that CON
tained the date of his marriage, and had
been kissed by his dying wife. But little
Joachim preferred German translation of
Homer, which had been given him as a
prize BY degrees the poor cobbler became
Interested in the heroic tales his son loved
so passionatey. The child stopped at the
close of every canto to express his surprise
and delight. "What a world what a
country what a sky what landscapes
what beauty these gods and heroes must
have possessed :" One day he added ; But
there is something wanting in this book y
What is that = asked his father.
Beautiful pictures to make the gods
and goddesses of whose beauty Homer
sings, visible to our eyes Oh father il
we were rich, we would buy Jupiter, Juno,
Mars and Nenus-Venus especially, whom
always see bathing in the Egean, sur
rounded by a rose-colored mist"
The poor cobbler listened to his son
without fully understanding him, but hi'
heart enabled him to comprehend that his
child had wishes that his poverty prevented
him from gratifying, and he suffered more
and more each day.
From the evening that the child hac
wished TO have pictures in his copy of Ho
mer the good cobbler thought of nothing
but the means of gratifying his desire Blu
where was he to find Jupiter, a Juno, es
peciallv a Venus There was no museum
at Stendal, and the old man had never seeI
the image of the most beautiful of the god
desses.
One morning, when he took back to tn,
college some shoes that he had mended fo
the scholars, the door-keeper left him wait
ing in a sort of parlor, while he went t
collect the payment for his work and SOM
; other boots to be repaired. The cobble
looked carefully at the walls of the room
which were adorned with little frames con
tanning the children's drawings these wer
of several schools, gods and Grecian heroes
and among them two of Venus, the Nenu
de Medici and the reclining Venus. TIL
old man, bent with age and suffering
Strengthened himself in his delight, as h
saw the name Venus written at the foot o
two frames in which the beautiful GOODIES
was placed. The door keeper found hiI
standing in delight before those very med
ocre drawings of two statues of antiquity
what are you looking at old man ~ sal
the astonished door-keeper, do those tw
beautiful women please you y
eyes indeed and will leave the mon
ey you were going TO give me if you wi
allow me to take them away"
The porter burst into shouts of laughter
Oh do not make fun of me" replied tn
good cobbler, lit is to crafty my child
who thinks of nothing but the goddesses c
ancient times.
"And how old is the little boy Z" returne
the door-keeper.
Ten years, answered the father,
Come, come, he is prococious, contir
l. ued the other still laughing.
Z "Oh, assure he is he is always tn
4 first scholar at the free school, alread
/, knows all that the teachers do; and if h
I, could enter your college | will answer fc
n his being the smartest of all the puplli
n Oh kind SIR" continued the old man SCI
e ing that the door-keeper no longer laughe
{, and was listening attentively, "do som,
+, thing for him, speak TO your principal
II his favor, and in the mean time let me tak
a those drawings if you do not value thei
t, too highly"
1t "Wait wait few moments" returne
III the door keeper, hattered by this appeal
his patronage, there are three of IL
If scholars who draw playing ball in the cour
IL yard they gave me these pictures, as yC
call them, and they must have others the
would willingly give you, for they are kim
n hearted little rogues."
4. The keeper called the three pupils, wi
sr came bounding toward him, and on lear
n, ing the cobbler's wish, exclaimed in Il
Il same breath, ''Of course we will gratii
," YOU" and running hastily 10 the room co